Prime Minister Edi Rama, together with the Minister of Public Administration, Adea Pirdeni, presented today the "Scale of Merit", the new plan for the transformation and evaluation of public administration.
During his speech, the head of government emphasized that meritocracy should not only be a request that the state makes to employees, but also a guarantee that it should offer them, ensuring that good work is appreciated and ability is a non-negotiable condition for career advancement.
"Secondly, in career advancement, meritocracy. There is a lot of talk about meritocracy. There are many complaints and there is a deep sense that there is no meritocracy. But meritocracy should not only be a requirement that the state makes to the employee, but it should also be the guarantee that the state gives him. By continuously affirming that good work is recognized and that ability is a non-negotiable condition for climbing the career ladder," said Rama.
Rama also focused on the evaluation of the leaders of public institutions. The head of government announced that about 10 days ago, an evaluation process was launched for the leaders of several institutions that provide services directly to citizens.
According to Rama, this process does not simply aim to change the names at the top of institutions, but to identify concrete results and distinguish between leadership that produces improvements and that which remains routine or creates costs for the image of state institutions.
"Thirdly, on management. Here we will be even more demanding, this is also related to an issue that has taken on special importance in recent developments: responsibility for the management of institutions. 10 days ago, managers of a number of institutions that provide services directly to citizens were subjected to a process of evaluating their work results. This is not at all an unnatural move, nor a race to see how many managers leave office, nor an exercise to change names at the head of institutions or remove Colin and bring in Loli. It is a request to look with a more critical eye at where management has produced results and where it has produced only routine, or worse yet, costs for the image of state institutions," said Rama.
According to him, where repeated problems and lack of results are identified, there will be consequences, while leaders who have shown experience and positive results should be evaluated and protected.
"Where there is professionalism and results, they must be recognized and protected. Where problems are repeated and responsibility is lacking, there must be consequences, without compromising capacities and without interrupting for a moment the work in the service of citizens, but also the process of negotiations with the European Union. This process and the degree of merit are united in one principle: the management of the institution cannot be a privilege disconnected from the results and accountability cannot begin only when problems begin and become public. It must be a daily part of the functioning of the state", said Rama.
Rama said that the creation of the Ministry of Public Administration aims to give a clear institutional address to the management of the human capital of the Republic of Albania.
"The creation of the Ministry of Public Administration gives this responsibility for the good management of the human capital of the Republic of Albania a clear institutional address. This should be a ministry that will continue the reform work, already started with the reform of the administration, its construction, with the organization and functioning of institutions, with the development of human capacities, with good governance and accountability", said Rama.
